Grounds Services

Manager: Rose Leland

• Supervisor: Mike Dubois
• Supervisor: Brad Bluto
• Office Support: Lori Bergevin

Office Location: Grounds Building, University Road (off East Ave)
Office Phone:  (802) 656-3866

Campus Mailing Address: Physical Plant, 284 East Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405

Summer and Seasonal Employment

Students! Like to get your hands dirty? The Grounds department sometimes has summertime or seasonal opportunities to help with horticultural and grounds maintenance crews. For more information, contact Rose Leland UVM Grounds Manager.

Our tasks include...

• Maintenance of all trees, shrubs and turf on campus, including mowing, trimming, weeding, planting, pruning, mulching, seeding, fertilization, watering, and leaf removal
• Maintenance, snow plowing, and salting/sanding of parking lots, sidewalks, and roadways
• Debris and litter pick-up, graffiti clearing
• Fence installation and maintenance, drain clearing, trucking, and equipment repair and maintenance
• Responsible for over 300 acres, over 200 acres of trees, shrubs, and turf, more than 2500 trees, 39 acres of parking lots, 15 miles of walkways, and 6 miles of roads
• Moving and trucking services for small jobs (e.g., moving furniture or storage boxes across campus). To schedule, submit a FAMIS Service Request. 

Steps toward sustainability

• We do not use pesticides or herbicides on campus and we practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
• Using "Magic" to Reduce Salt Use on Campus
• We plant only native, zone hardy and site-specific plants which require less maintenance and water, and are working to plant more perennials on campus
• Irrigation on campus is limited to the athletic fields and the main green
• Some of our diesel mowing equipment is fueled by biodiesel, as is our dump truck
• We don't bag grass clippings
• We use only locally purchased compost and organic fertilizers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

• How does Grounds prioritize work and determine spending priorities for its various tasks?
  Our number one priority is safety. Aesthetics follows not far behind. Snow removal is always at the top of our list because it correlates with both safety and aesthetics. We will spend all that we must to remove snow to create a safe, aesthetically pleasing atmosphere.



• How does Grounds schedule work around other campus events and activities (i.e., outdoor classes, picnics, and tours)?
  We are in constant communication with other departments including Conference and Events Services (CAES), Admissions, the President's Office and other groups responsible for scheduling campus events. Software programs including FAMIS, our work order scheduling system, and Resource25, the campus events scheduling program, assist in communications.



• Is Grounds involved in the decision making process for landscaping around new buildings?
  External architectural and engineering firms plan landscape designs for new projects. The Grounds department is consulted by UVM Facilities Design & Construction and Campus Planning Services in the early stages to review and comment on pre-construction plans. It is then where we can comment on any issues we find relevant and make sure campus standards are followed. Additionally, there are several campus committees that evaluate and approve the designs. 



• Who determines what to plant and how much funding is dedicated to the landscape?
  Landscape funding is most typically the last item in a project budget so when funds need to be cut, unfortunately this is where it tends to be. If a project comes up short in its budget, it can move forward without some of the landscape, however, you can't build a building without a roof, for example.



• Who determines where sidewalks are placed? How is the percentage of "green space" managed?
  The amount of green space is managed through Campus Planning Services and the Burlington Planning & Zoning Office. Sidewalk placement is typically part of the overall design with new building projects and is part of the site package. However, because our campus is old, it has developed in a "piece meal" fashion, which means that traffic plans are always a challenge. Our approach to putting in any new sidewalks is to first let people create their own paths and then install a hard sidewalk.



• When are outdoor spaces available for use in the spring? When are grounds conditions acceptable?
  Ground conditions and the weather determine when campus areas are acceptable for outdoor events. Colder than average temperatures, late season snowfalls and spring moisture are typical situations that delay our usage of outdoor spaces.



• Who determines when Grounds is called in for snow removal during the winter season? What is the protocol for plowing and deicing?
  Police Services determines when we are called in on off-hours for snow removal because they are on campus 24 hours a day. During steady snow storms, we continuously plow and salt (using Magic Salt) when the storm slows down. If accumulations are light and no plowing is necessary, we will apply salt as a preventive measure to avoid freezing conditions.



• How do we prioritize the areas needing attention for Commencement and how do we get the work done in such a small window of time in the spring?
  High profile, highly visible areas are concentrated on first. Outside contractors are normally brought in to help with spring cleanup for about one month with specific areas to clean up. The same contractors have been used for the past few years to ensure they know the areas well and understand what is expected to maintain the high standards of UVM Grounds.



• How does Grounds decide when to bring contractors in to assist us with our work?
  Landscape work is very weather dependent so there are many fluctuations throughout the year regarding the workload and numbers of people needed to perform the work. Contractors are used most often during the winter to plow snow in larger parking lots and in the spring to help with seasonal clean up of the grounds.

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Links to External Resources

• Snow and Ice Management Association
• Professional Grounds Management Society
• American Horticultural Society Gardening Connections

Last modified April 09 2013 03:14 PM